need a chocolate suggestion

[lonelyfarmgirl]

usually I buy free trade organic chocolate for my own personal indulgence, usually green and black's brand. well, its nearly 4$ a bar! fine, its for me.

I would like to buy some chocolate for long term storage. Is there a brand I could buy that doesn't cost so much, that is dark chocolate, that will store well, and doesn't have a bunch of junk in it?

[Tommyice]

Do you have a Trader Joe's nearby? They have 17.5 ounce bars for somewhere in the $5 range. The 72% cacoa is really good. The only ingredients are Cocoa mass (liqueur), cocoa butter, sugar, soy lecithin.

[oregon woodsmok]

I buy 10 pound bars from the store where I like the bulk bins. I can't remember the brand name, but it is good chocolate.

You can order 10 pound bars from places that sell to bakeries. There are a multitude of places on-line. The big bars are a substantial savings on the price per pound.

If it is for cooking, cocoa works just fine and it stores well.

[Horseyrider]

I would worry about long term storage. The good stuff loses it's bloom.

[LisaInN.Idaho]

Originally Posted by Horseyrider

I would worry about long term storage. The good stuff loses it's bloom.

It doesn't actually lose it's bloom...it develops a bloom (a grayish white film on the surface), which is the cocoa butter separating and rising to the surface. It doesn't really affect the taste for cooking and baking with the chocolate.
Personally, I would get a good quality cocoa and store that. Dutch processed is best. Callebaut is an awesome brand.

[arabian knight]

Originally Posted by LisaInN.Idaho

It doesn't actually lose it's bloom...it develops a bloom (a grayish white film on the surface), which is the cocoa butter separating and rising to the surface. It doesn't really affect the taste for cooking and baking with the chocolate.
Personally, I would get a good quality cocoa and store that. Dutch processed is best. Callebaut is an awesome brand.

And it does that because of temperature is too warm where it has been kept.

[LisaInN.Idaho]

Originally Posted by arabian knight

And it does that because of temperature is too warm where it has been kept.

sometimes...if it's a fat bloom, though there are other reasons for bloom to occur.. Keeping the chocolate under damp and cool conditions can cause a sugar bloom.

[PrettyPaisley]

I buy Enjoy Life in 5# bags from the co-op because there is no soy lecithin (belch) in it. BUT-it's semi-sweet so that might not work for you. And they come in these teeny weeny little chips. Pretty annoying for me-who wants a handful, but great for cookies and muffins and granola mixes. And for licking off a spoon when you melt it in a double boiler.

[nehimama]

Whatever you decide to get, try vacuum sealing it in food saver bags. Soon I'm going to test the chocolate I stored this way about 2 years ago.

[Alice In TX/MO]

Fat bloom. That's my problem.

[TheMrs]

When we get chocolate, we go with the Lindt 85% bars. They run about $2-$3 and they do not contain any soy, which is important to us.

[Sparticle]

The wife makes our own "chocolate" out of carob. Mixes it with honey, sugar, butter and vanilla. Its the best thing ever in the world.

[nc_mtn]

I guess I'm just crazy but Hershey's is pretty fine to me, if you disagree, that's fine - Just send me all you've got

I keep Hershey's, Baker's, Ghiradelli, and M&M candies. All vac-sealed in jars. This is Florida so even with the a/c I get some fat bloom, but even at four years old it's kept just fine. Use it often and keep it rotated.

[nc_mtn]

Originally Posted by A.T. Hagan

Use it often and keep it rotated.

That's my problem too... but mine never makes it to storage

[LisaInN.Idaho]

Originally Posted by lonelyfarmgirl

usually I buy free trade organic chocolate for my own personal indulgence, usually green and black's brand. well, its nearly 4$ a bar! fine, its for me.

I would like to buy some chocolate for long term storage. Is there a brand I could buy that doesn't cost so much, that is dark chocolate, that will store well, and doesn't have a bunch of junk in it?

From the rankings at CI: the top three dark chocolate bars:

1. Callebaut Intense Dark Chocolate,
2. Ghirardelli Bittersweet Chocolate Baking Bar
3. Dagoba Organic Semisweet Dark Chocolate

They say to wrap it well in plastic, store in a cool cupboard and dark chocolate should last about 2 years without bloom. Though even if it develops bloom you cans still use it.

[lonelyfarmgirl]

semi-sweet is ok in chip form.
I would love to know how the 2-year old chocolate comes out, and I REFUSE to buy hershey's any longer because they moved their factory to mexico.

[foxtrapper]

Research lonelyfarmgirl, research. Hershey has shut down *some* of their plants, and has been and is moving *some* of their operations to Mexico. But by no means has Hershey "moved their factory" to Mexico. They have many factories, and many are staying in the US.

[Lizza]

Originally Posted by lonelyfarmgirl

semi-sweet is ok in chip form.
I would love to know how the 2-year old chocolate comes out, and I REFUSE to buy hershey's any longer because they moved their factory to mexico.

A better reason is that conventional chocolate (example, Hershey's) buys from farms, knowingly, that uses child slaves (usually sold by their parents) in Africa.

[lonelyfarmgirl]

some, all, makes no difference to me. Its still a loss of american jobs on a product known for being american made. are the bars going to specify whether they came from mexico or america? Sorry, this one just rubs me the wrong way. I know alot of companies do this.